Top 10 Small Athletes: #8 Temeka Johnson

October 1st 2009, 10:57 am

The 5' 3" Johnson has come up big time and time again for the Phoenix Muercury this season.

A year after being traded from the Los Angeles Sparks, Johnson finished fifth in the WNBA in assists (4.6) and helped lead the Muercury back to the NBA Finals (as of Wednesday, they were two wins away from a second title in three seasons).

A three-time All-America honorable mention at LSU (2002-04), Johnson won the Nancy Lieberman Award as the nation's top collegiate point guard as a senior. But she was thought to be too small to be a great professional player.

Thanks to her quickness -- and toughness -- Johnson has emerged as one of the WNBA's top point guards, and it didn't take long for it to happen. Johnson was the 2005 WNBA Rookie of the Year for her fantastic first season with the Washington Mystics.